Valved container



June 27, 1944- A. cALLEsoN ET AL 2,352,251

VALVED CONTAINER Filed March 8, 1940 Patented June 27, 1944 VALVED CONTAINER Amos Callcson and Edgar A. Calleson, Merrick, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Crown Can Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 8, 1940, Serial No. 323,014

The present invention relates to containers and closures therefor of the type having valved openings therein, through which the air in the sealed container may be exhausted, and through which a processing medium, such as steam or a sterilizing gas may be introduced. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in the structure of the container end member around the opening and the valve, or supplemental closure, disposed therein.

It is ,a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved valve or closure seat and valve or closure for containers of the foregoing type.

It is a further object of the invention to simplify and cheapen constructions of this kind, while improving the sealing eillciency of the valves and simplifying the valve closing operation.

It is afurther object of the invention to provide a construction wherein the valve may be closed by clinching or otherwise distorting a portion of the valve itself, to positively hold the head of the valve upon the valve seat, as distinguished from prior constructions wherein the valves are closed by crimping or distorting the end closure member of the container.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction wherein the valve member is clinched upon a valve seat by portions of the valve body disposed on opposite sides of the seat.

In the accompanying drawing, preferred embodiments of the valve and seat are shown, as well as a preferred mechanism for and method of closing the valve, but the invention is not limited to" the structural details thereof, except as lrequired by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a can end closure member constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a valve member or supplemental closure, prior to its assembly with the can end.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of an assembled container, closure and valve, with the valve in the open position.

Figure 4 is a similar view with the valve closed,

and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the valve closing or clinching mechanism.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, similar to Figurel, showing a modification, and

Figure 'I is a vertical sectional view of a modined valve member.

The can end member I0 is provided with the usual circumferential seaming ilange II which is adapted to be double-seamed to the container, preferably after the latter has been filled, in accordance with conventional practice. A sealing compound I2 is disposed in the channel of the iiange I I, to provide the usual sanitary seam. The end closure I0 is provided with a central opening I 3, defined by a downwardly, inwardly, upwardly and outwardly curled bead Il, providing a downwardly facing, rounded annular valve seat I5. Preferably. substantially the upper half of the bead I4 is provided with serrations or cutout portions I6, providing lateral passages through the bead. This structure may be made by punching-out an appropriate star-shaped opening in the center of the end closure and then stamping and curling the tangs I1 and the adjacent metal to the form shown in Figure 1.

The valve or closure of the present invention preferably comprises a laterally projecting head I 8 and an upwardly projecting tubular neck or body I9. 'Ihe head `ioins the neck along an annular, upwardly facing channel 20, in which a sealing compound 21| is disposed, and the neck I0 fits loosely within the opening I3, while the sealing groove 20 is of the same diameter as the valve or closure seat I5. The valve may be made of any appropriate sheet metal, such as tin-plate,

aluminum, or the like.

The valve may be assembled with the end closure member by simply curling the upper end of the neck Il outwardly and downwardly, after the neck has been inserted in the opening I3, by the use of an appropriate curling die. The bead 25 so formed overlies the bead Il of the can end closure member and retains the valve loosely in place. Moreover, the bead 25 positions the head I l in definite predetermined spaced relation below the valve seat Il.

Preferably, the valve and the end closure are assembled in this manner at the can factory and are shipped to the packer detached from the can bodies. The packer illls the can and doubleseams the end closure member I l to the con` process the contents. The valves are then positively and permanently closed, before the steam has had an opportunity to condense.

'I'he valve of the present invention is partic ularly adapted for use in this type of process, since it may be permanently closed with great facility by simply continuing the curling of the bead 25, to clinch the bead and the head I8 against the opposite faces of the valve seat.

As shown in Figure 5, this curling or clinching oi' the bead may be accomplished by a mechanism comprising a plurality of expanding jaw members 28, a jaw vexpanding plunger 29 and a curling die 38. The expanding jaws 28 are provided with laterally projecting arms 8| slidably mounted in radial ways in a head 32, carried by a vertically movable sleeve 33. The arms 8| are retained in the ways by a plate 34 secured to the head 82 by appropriate screws 35 or the like. 'I'he jaws and the arms 3I are urged inwardly'to the collapsed position by radially disposed compression springs 86, disposed in appropriate recesses in the head 82 and bearing against pins 8`|- mounted in the upper ends of the jaws.

V The Jaws are adapted to be expanded to project the pointed ends 48 thereof outwardly under the annular groove 28 of the valve head by the vertically movable expanding plunger or wedge 29 carried by a vertically movable, centrally disposed rod 38. When expanded, the jaws 28 support the valve against downward movement relative to the seat I 5.

The curling die 38 is carried by the lower end of a vertically disposed sleeve 4I, movable. downwardly relative to the valve holding jaws, after the latter have been expanded. The die terminates at its lower end in an annular curling groove 42, positioned to engage the outwardly and downwardly curled bead 25 (Fig. 3) to impart a further curl thereto, thereby to reduce the length of the neck I9 and to crush or clinch the bead firmly against the upper surface of the bead I 4, as indicated at 45 in Figure 4.

The two sleeves 83 and 4I, and the rod 38, may be reciprocated in predetermined timed relation by any appropriate mechanism, such as cams, cranks, eccentrics, levers or the like. Preferably, the entire assembly first descends with. the jaws in the contracted relation. It should be remembered that, at this time, the valve is disposed in the uppermost position, with the sealing compound 2| and the sealing groove 20 firmly pressed against the valve seat I5, the valve being held in that position by the steam pressure within the container. Hence, the contracted jaws may be lowered to a position where the pointed ends 48 are opposite the laterally projecting portion of the valve head I8. Next, the rod 88 and the expanding wedge 28 carried thereby are lowered, with the result that the cam surfaces on the wedge force the expanding jaws outwardly and project the pointed ends 48 thereof under the sealing groove 28. Then, and while the expanding jaws and the wedge remain stationary, the curling die 38 is forced downwardly by the sleeve 4|, whereupon the bead 25 is curled up and crushed somewhat, as indicated at 45 in Figure 4, to tightly clinch the valve head I8 upon the. seat I5. 'I'he curling die 38 is then lifted by the sleeve 4I, the wedge 38 is raised, the jaws 28 are contracted by the operation of the springs 36, and the entire assembly is lifted from the container.

If desired, a plurality of the clinching methanisms disclosed in Figure 5 may be mounted upon a turret machine, so that a plurality of cans may be sealed simultaneously. In such case. the three relatively movable slides (38, 88 and 4I) may be cam-actuated during the continuous or intermittentmovement of the turret. If, on the contrary, a single clinching head is to be used, the three slides may be operated conveniently by three cams mounted on a common shaft, so arranged that the lobes thereof are timed to operate the slides in the desired sequence. Since one skilled in the art will readily appreciate the manner in which these elements may be actuated, and since the invention is not limited to any particular means, none are shown in the accompanying drawing.

As stated above, the preferred method of packing and processing foodstuff with the containers oi the present invention, is to ll vthe cans, then seam on the upper valved end member, and then proceed with the vacuumizing, steaming and valve clinching operations. If desired, however, the valved end member may be seamed upon the body at the can-making factory, leaving the bottom end open. In such case, the packer fills the can while inverted through the bottom end and then seams on the bottom end member. In such case, the valve is held in closed position by gravity during the filling operation. After the end mem- :ber is seamed on, the processing proceeds as above described.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the can end member is provided with an inwardly and downwardly inclined central wall portion 44,

merging at its inner end with an upstanding cyiindrical wall 41, thereby providing a groove in the end of the can which will prevent dirt from coming into contact with the bead I4'. Also, the annular bead I4', instead of being provided with serrations or cut-out portions, as in the form in Figure 1, is provided with indentations I8', pressed downwardly in the upper face of the bead. In many cases, these pressed-notches are preferred over cut-out portions.

The valve member shown in Figure 7 diners from that of Figure 2 only in that it has a wider and deeper groove 28', which will accommodate a greater volume of sealing compound 2|'.

Although the invention has been described with considerable particularity in this specification, and preferred embodiments have been shown in detail in the accompanying drawing, it must be understood that the invention is not limited to such details, but includes all Vdevices and methods coming within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

We claim:

1. A container having a closure provided with an opening for the introduction of a processing medium after the container has been filled, said opening being bounded by an annular seat, anda supplemental closure in the opening, said supplementaI closure comprising a hollow, upwardly opening, sheet metal plug disposed loosely in the opening and providing a space between the plug and the opening for the introduction of said medium, said plug having an outwardly flaring lower end disposedin spaced, non-sealing relation under the seat to permit the introduction of the processing medium and an outwardly and downwardly curled upper end above said seat, whereby said supplemental closure may be drawn into permanently closed relation to said seat by inserting a tool into the hollow interior of the plug and curling the upper end thereof downwardly against the upper surface of the valve seat.

2. A container having an end member provided with an opening for the introduction of a processing medium after the container has been lled, and a closure for the opening, said opening being defined by an upwardly and outwardly curled bead having passages in its upper surface and an imperforate lower surface constituting a seat for the closure, said closure comprising a neck in the opening, a laterally projecting head below said seat, and an outwardly and downwardly curled upper end overlying said bead, said head and said upper end being spaced apart to permit introduction of said medium through said passages and between the head and said seat, said closure thereafter being adapted to be maintained in permanently closed relation by further downwardly curling the upper end of the neck, thereby reducing the length of the neck and forcing the curled end and head respectively into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of said bead.

3. A container having an end member provided with an opening for the introduction of a processing medium after the container has been lled, and a closure for the opening, said opening being defined by an upwardly and outwardly curled bead having an imperforate lower surface constituting a seat for the closure, said closure comprising a neck disposed loosely in the opening in spaced relation to the margins thereof, a laterally projecting head spaced below said seat and out of contact therewith, and an outwardly and downwardly curled upper end overlying the upper surface of said bead, said head and said upper end being spaced apart a greater distance than the vertical height of said bead to permit introduction of said processing medium through the space between the neck and the opening and between the head and said seat, said closure thereafter being adapted to be maintained in permanently closed relation by further downwardly curling the upper end of the neck, thereby reducing the length of the neck and forcing the curled end and head respectively into contact with the upper and lowersurfaces of said bead.

4. A container having an end member provided with an opening for the introduction of a processing medium after the container has been filled, and a closure for the opening, said opening being defined by an upwardly and outwardly curled bead having an imperforate lower surface constituting a seat for the closure, said closure comprising a neck disposed loosely in the opening, a laterally projecting head spaced below said seat and an outwardly and downwardly curled upper end overlying said bead, said bead and said end being shaped to provide passages for the introduction of said processing medium, and said head and the upper end of the closure being spaced apart to permit introduction of saidv medium through said passages and between the head and the seat, said closure thereafter being adapted to be maintained in permanently closed relation by further downwardly curling the upper end of the neck, thereby reducing the length of the neck and forcing the curled end and head, respectively, to contact with the upper and lower surfaces of said bead.

AMOS CALLESON.

EDGAR A. CAILESON. 

